From the Circle City Soun d Greater Indianapolis Chapter of the THE BEAT Volume 40, Issue 8 August 2009 Circle City Sound’s mission is to perform with excellence in the barbershop style and encourage singing within the community, because singing enhances life. What a Convention! by Jerry Troxel, editor of The Beat The 2009 International The quartet contest saw many past champs in different Barbershop Harmony Society quartet configurations, including our own Garry convention is now history, Texeira in 17th-place finisher TKO. The quartet finals and what an historic event it had a record- turned out to be! breaking three past College Quartet The setting in Anaheim was ideal, with great weather Champion quartets in every day – sunshine, upper 70s – and the convention the running for the hotels within walking distance to Disneyland and plenty gold: Ringmasters of great restaurants like P.F. Chang’s, Cheesecake (2008), Musical Factory, and McCormick and Schmick’s. The host Island Boys (2006), chapter, the Masters of Harmony, did a great job of and Men In Black keeping everything running smoothly throughout the (2005). The winner Crossroads week. The Honda Center was the setting for the contest of the contest was sessions and most of the special shows. It’s an Crossroads (also from the St. Charles chapter), interesting venue – a hockey arena with chandeliers! featuring tenor Fred Farrell (Second Edition), lead Mike Slamka (Power Play), bass Jim Henry (Gas Inside that arena, barbershop history was made. House Gang), and baritone Brandon Guyton (Four Everyone is still talking about the chorus contest. Voices). Perennial winner, the Vocal Majority, achieved scores that would have won any other contest in history, and The Collegiate Quartet contest featured 26 top-notch appeared assured of yet another victory. Then the quartets in a contest that gets better every year. For Ambassadors of Harmony, from St. Charles, Missouri, the first time, this contest was included with the under the direction of Jim Henry, came out and blew registration and did not require an extra ticket. The them away by breaking the record the VM had just set – Vagrants were crowned the 2009 champions, and a whopping 97.5% - with their smooth, heartfelt ballad Cardinal District representative Instant Classic came in and their top-notch performance of ‖Seventy-Six eighth. Other notable events during the week included Trombones.‖ the ever-popular Mega-Sing, the World Harmony Jamboree Dinner Show, the AIC Show and Harmony Foundation Presents. The latter featured three of the best barbershop choruses around—Vocal Majority, Masters of Harmony and Ambassadors of Harmony—in concert, concluding with a combined presentation of ―Stars and Stripes‖ that is a never-to-be-forgotten moment in convention history. All in all, it was a great convention—you should have been there. See you next year, in Philly! Ambassadors of Harmony Page 2 THE BEAT August 2009 THE BEAT Membership Statistics Jerry E. Troxel, Editor 129 Yorkshire Blvd. E Chapter members as of July 1, 2009: 92 Indianapolis, IN 46229 317 891-1634 Average member age: 58.6 [email protected] Average years of service: 18.2 Number of active members: 59 (64%) The BEAT is published monthly by the Greater Indianapolis, Indiana, Chapter of the More Ways You Can Take Part Barbershop Harmony Society, in Your Chapter a proud member of the Cardinal District Association a periodic feature of The BEAT of Barbershop Chapters from “100 Ways You Can Take Part in Your Chapter” collected from the Harmonet by Kim Benner Take care of your chorus out- Without fail, use the director's fits and accessories; be sure signal for the pitch as your cue they are always cleaned and to mentally and physically pre- pressed according to direc- pare to sing. Chapter Leadership 2009 tions, so that you and your chorus look your best and Mark music manuscript President your clothing lasts a long time. changes/presentation notes in Jerry Troxel pencil on your own music; VP Chapter Development Put a picture of your chorus these things are generally not Steve Cline up in your office, and talk to cast in stone. anyone who asks about it. VP Music & Performance Show the person up front that Duane Henry Save those ―important ques- you're paying attention by VP PR & Marketing tions‖ of the director/section your face and body language. Randy Freeman leader/your neighbor, until the break or after rehearsal. Secretary Tom Bradley Treasurer Jim Sauder Board Members at Large Barberpole Cat Learning Program Jeff Boyd David Fouts Our Barberpole Cat for the month of August is Brad McAlexander “Down by the Old Mill Stream” Immediate Past President Jim Rosenau Director Garry Texeira Secure the future of barbershop harmony through your generous gifts to the Founder’s Club, President’s Assistant Director Council, Ambassadors of Song, and Tribute Gifts. Andrew Myer www.harmonyfoundation.org August 2009 THE BEAT Page 3 A Stroll Down Memory Lane Calendar by Lew Gillespie, editor of Inside the Pride, 1991-1995 of Events Five Years Ago Ten Years Ago CCS Retreat/Coaching The ―Blast on the Bay‖ was held at Three chapter Christ Lutheran Church the home of Gene Newcombe on members—Jim August 7 - 8 the north side of Indy. About 60 Beehler, Jim Feast of Lanterns people attended the party with Pyle, and Ed Spades Park some people catching fish from the Vargo—had the August 29, 5:00 pm docks. After dinner, which featured pleasure of par- brats, a neighbor of Gene’s gonged ticipating in the Lew Gillespie Thank You Concert a dinner bell calling all pontooners first Interna- Chapter Historian for Christ Lutheran Church to the concert water hall at dock tional Barber- September 13, 3:00 pm 55. There were 17 pontoons with shop Festival in Russia, July 16-31, about 55 people in the audience. 1999. The ten day festival took Cardinal District Fall After the concert, tag singing took place in St. Petersburg. A group of Convention and Contests place and the fellowship was great. 180 singers included one full bar- Columbus, Indiana The Newcombes always throw a bershop chorus, The Singing October 2-4 great party. Buckeyes from Columbus, Ohio, Circle City Sounds along with The American of the Season Circle City Sound Chorus was Chordsmen, a group of barber- Ransburg Auditorium busy with two performances on shoppers from all over the United University of Indianapolis July 4 and July 5, 2004. The first States, and the three Indy mem- November 29, 3:00 pm was held at the Indiana Historical bers who did not belong to either Society located outside on the ca- group. All of the men combined to Performance for Indiana nal, and 41 men agreed, ―it was sing three songs directed by Dr. Chapter of National hotter than hell.‖ This performance Greg Lyne from Kenosha, Wiscon- Electrical Contractors was important in that it allowed the sin. The Ritz quartet also traveled Sheraton Hotel and Suites chapter to trade our services for with the group. December 5, 8:30 pm the use of the Historical Society for the annual Officer Installation and Dave Coleman, bass, shared his Artsgarden Holiday Show BOTY Banquet. experiences from Harmony College Circle Centre Mall as he and his quartet, Still At December 6, 3:30 pm The next day, the chorus appeared Large, (with baritone Duane in Carmel, Indiana, for Carmelfest. Henry, tenor Tom Davis and lead Forty-six men participated in this Mark Shapiro) had a great week. performance, and tux coats were This quartet had coaching from Bill For detailed information on all chapter performances check not an option for attire because of Myers (bass in Revival), Bobby our weekly bulletin, the heat. The special guest for this Gray, Jr. (baritone in The New event was Sarah Wiley, Miss Tradition), and Mel Knight. ―Our SOUND BYTES Indiana. Chapter member Gene quartet received what seemed like or go to: Newcombe was chosen to dance a million ideas on what we could do www.circlecitysound.org with this lovely lady while the cho- to improve, but they (coaches) and visit the rus sang ―It Had To Be You.‖ really hammered being expressive, Members Only section Someone said that it was not a selling the song, using dynamics, matter of Gene being chosen; he and singing with emotion.‖ Har- just pushed 45 other guys out of mony College was a wonderful The newsletter deadline for the the way! (Article taken from The week that the quartet would rec- September issue of The Beat is August 27. Send articles to: Beat, Vol. 38, Issue 8, August, ommend to any chapter member. [email protected] 2004, R. Duane Henry, editor) (Article borrowed from Inside The Pride, Vol. 30, Issue 8, August, 1999, Brad McAlexander, editor). Page 4 THE BEAT August 2009 Harmony Explosion Camp by Patrick McAlexander The story really started for me five end of the night and the following a l r e a d y years ago. I came to Harmony morning, some of us were already signed up Explosion Camp as a 10-year-old losing our voices a bit (three hours f o r t he who had been singing with CCS for of tags will do that to you). show, and three years. And the experience since I knew was disappointing. The music was We kept singing, with long hours of the melody fun to sing, absolutely, but I felt rehearsing all day Thursday, and and knew like a fish out of water, considering the sound that these young people pretty much that I was at least three years with limited amount of barbershop all of the younger than everyone else and experience made was pretty words, I had more barbershop experience incredible.